I wasn’t sure how far I was going to get. The station was behind the correctional facility on Front Street, right next to the police station. Either the witches were insane, or they didn’t think they could get caught.
Bartholomew and I made it to the intersection of Pine and Front Streets. Constantine was right. SWAT was on the scene, and the place looked like a hostage negation right out of a movie. Police officers were everywhere. They even had snipers on the roofs. I was pretty sure the witches were not there.
“Impressive, but probably overkill.” Bartholomew was looking out his window.
“You’re getting the same vibe.” I was making a mental note. Texarkana’s rapid-response team was impressive.
“There’s no way they’re going to blast a door to another dimension in the middle of a firefight.”
Bartholomew was right. Before I could put the truck in reverse, someone knocked on my window. I almost jumped out of my seat. I lowered my window slowly.
“What are you two doing here?” Why didn’t Eric ever smile when he was on duty?
“Constantine sent us to find you,” Bartholomew said from his side. “Are they here?” Bartholomew had a way of calming people down.
Eric didn’t seem to mind answering Bartholomew, unlike me. “There are people inside. The snipers have seen several people with guns and hostages.” He glanced over his shoulder.
“Constantine said you had an anonymous call. How do you know it was reliable?” I had no idea why that was bothering me. I didn’t believe in coincidences, and this job was making me question everything.
“Abuelita called me to ask for advice. She made a tracking spell for Angelito, and it led to the station. She wanted to come and find him, but you told her the witches were after her. I told her to call 911 and leave the message.” Eric looked worried. It probably didn’t help that he hadn’t slept in a couple of days.
“Why not have her leave her name?” Bartholomew asked.
“Very hard to explain to the cops that she used a spell to track him here. Nobody would ever take her seriously again. Besides, they wouldn’t come,” I said. I knew it in my heart, because up to a week ago, I didn’t believe in any of this stuff.
“Oh yeah, I forgot. Police don’t believe in magic.” Bartholomew looked so young.
“The average person doesn’t believe in magic. Remember that. You two better get out of here.” Eric was scanning the area. He noticed one of the other cops looking in our direction.
“Let us know if you find Angelito, please.” I was praying that Abuelita was all right.
“I will. Be careful. We’re going to be busy here for a while. If they’re not here, you’re going to have your hands full.” Eric started walking away.
“Thank you, Eric.”
He nodded at us and kept on walking.
I looked at Bartholomew. “They’re not there. This is a distraction.”
“I was thinking the same thing. It’s clever. They have the whole area blocked off, and nobody is looking for them. I think Angelito is in there.” Bartholomew was looking at the building as he spoke.
“I do, too. I also have a horrible feeling that he’s well guarded.”
Bartholomew and I looked at each other.
“Isis, there’s no time. If we try to help, we’ll probably get arrested instead. Besides, if they left magical traps, Eric can handle it. We need to find them.”
Bartholomew was right. There wasn’t much we could do there.
“I know, but I feel bad. They’re going in there blind.” I took a deep breath before putting the truck in gear.
“Blind? Isis, please. Those guys live for this kind of thing. Snipers on the roof, MRAP blocking the way. This is training paradise. If they actually get to shoot somebody and rescue the hostage, that would be one hell of a story. We’re in the way.” He looked at me and smiled. He was a genius for a reason.
“When you put it that way, why ruin their life’s mission?” I made a U-turn and headed back to State Line.
“Thank you. I’m glad you see it my way.” He touched his earpiece to get ahold of Constantine. “Constantine, hostages in the building, but we’re pretty sure no witches. What do you have?”
“I got a couple of thugs hanging out by a fountain. They look heavily armed, so be careful.”
“Got it. We’re on our way.”
I nodded at Bartholomew and headed toward the post office.
“The fountain is on the back side. We’ll need to park on the side and walk the rest of the way. Constantine, can you see anyone else?” I was hoping for a little more information or details.
“That’s the weird part, Isis. It’s just two of them. No car near them or anyone else wandering around. They’re too big and wearing weather-heavy jackets to look natural there.”
“OK, so how do we find this stupid doorway?” I had no idea what I was looking for.
“It’s magic, Isis. Unfortunately, you’re going to need to use your sight.”
“Darn,” Bartholomew said. I totally agreed.
“OK, we’re on our way. Will keep you posted.” I did the sign of the cross. If any time in my life I needed divine protection, this was it. I said a quick prayer for Bartholomew and myself.
Chapter 35
We parked across the street from the post office on Woods Street. Bartholomew did one last check of the cameras and surveillance on his laptop.
“We’ve got sixty minutes on the loop before anyone notices something.” He was typing something on his computer as he spoke.
“That’s great, because we’ve got twenty minutes till sunset, so plenty of time.” I was starting to freak out.
Bartholomew put his computer away. He grabbed a police baton from his backpack. I pulled my M16 from the backseat and attached the machete to my side. I had been wondering why we needed the extended cab. Now I understood—it was easier to grab weapons from. For a cat, Constantine had a great understanding of human needs and logistics. It explained how he had managed to
